Staples Subdivision

BNSF Railway
Staples Subdivision
Legend
to KO Subdivision
250.2 East Dilworth
spur to Felton
248.8 Glyndon
236.1 Witherow
234.4 Hawley
230.6 Manitoba Junction spur
222.0 Lake Park
217.2 Audubon
213.6 Richards Spur
Canadian Pacific Railway
210.1 Detroit Lakes Amtrak Empire Builder
Frazee
189.3 Perham
178.5 New York Mills
Bluffton
former Northern Pacific branch
165.6 Wadena
spur former Great Northern
159.0 Verndale
Aldrich
150.1 West Staples
148.0 Staples Amtrak Empire Builder
140.2 / 147.8 to Brainerd Subdivision
134.0 Philbrook
127.8 Lincoln
Cushing
116.5 Randall
110.8 Darling
spur to Camp Ripley
106.0 Little Falls
Mississippi River
103.3 Gregory
former Soo Line, now Soo Line Trail
Royalton
88.7 Rice
Watab
Watab River
78.4 Sartell
Sauk Rapids
73.9 St. Cloud Amtrak Empire Builder
and Northern Lines Railway
Cable
62.7 Clear Lake
57.5 Becker
47.0 Big Lake Metro Transit Northstar Line
38.6 Elk River
Elk River station Northstar Line
Ramsey
26.8 Anoka Northstar Line
Coon Rapids - Riverdale Northstar Line
21.1 Coon Creek to Hinckley Subdivision
15.5 Interstate
Fridley Northstar Line
East Interstate
13.9 Northtown Yard
to Midway Subdivision

The Staples Subdivision or Staples Sub is a railway line running about 227 miles (365 km) from Dilworth to Fridley, Minnesota (near Minneapolis). It is operated by BNSF Railway as part of their Northern Transcon and contains the busiest segment of mainline track in the state, between Coon Rapids and Fridley. As of April 2009, most of the route hosted 49 trains per day, and there were 63 trains per day near Fridley.[1] The line meets the KO Subdivision in the west at East Dilworth, and runs to Interstate in Fridley, at the limits of Northtown Yard. Beyond Northtown, the rails continue as the Midway Subdivision.[2][3][4] U.S. Highway 10 closely follows the rail line for a majority of the distance between Dilworth and Fridley, Minnesota.

This line has hosted Amtrak's Empire Builder since the late 1970s, and the train makes stops along the Staples Subdivision in St. Cloud, Staples, and Detroit Lakes. Since November 2009, it has also hosted the Northstar Line commuter train, with stops in Fridley, Coon Rapids, Anoka, Elk River, and Big Lake.

This line also features connections to two subdivisions heading to Duluth, Minnesota. The Brainerd Subdivision breaks off to the east in Staples, while the Hinckley Subdivision runs north from Coon Creek Junction in Coon Rapids. Mileposts are counted from near the Saint Paul Union Depot for the southern half of the line from Fridley to near Staples, but northwest of Staples, distance is measured from Duluth.[5]

References